About the EIC Fund

Who we are

The venture arm of the European Innovation Council

An investment fund under private law with the European Commission as a shareholder

What we do

We provide the investment component of the EIC Accelerator and the STEP call

Funding high-risk deep tech innovators — from startups to mature scale-ups — with investments ranging from €0.5M to €30M

Why we do this

We bridge the funding gap for breakthrough technologies in Europe

As a strategic risk-taker, we crowd in private capital and support future global leaders

Main actors
The European Commission (shareholder)
The EIB (investment advisor and future investor of record)
An external Fund Manager (manages portfolio and investment decisions)
Qualified investors validate prospects
Co-investors invest alongside the Fund
Investment size
€0.5M–€10M under the EIC Accelerator
€10M–€30M under EIC STEP Scale Up
What we support
Game-changing innovators
From early-stage startups to scaling deep tech leaders
Across all verticals and across the EU and Horizon Europe countries
Our edge
Minority equity stakes (typically around 10% but can go up to 25%)
Follow-on funding in subsequent rounds
Thematic portfolios for strategic tech areas
110+ trusted investors managing €360B+ assets (Trusted Investors Network)

EIC Fund organisation structure

This structure ensures a streamlined blend of grant and equity support, while crowding in private capital for Europe’s most promising deep tech companies.

EIC Fund Board
Oversees the Fund’s investment strategy and holds the broadest decision-making powers under the Fund’s statutes.

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EIC Fund Advisory Committee (AC)
Provides independent advice and comments on individual cases to the EIB and the Fund Manager.

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Company Board Representatives
Work together with the EIB, the Fund Manager, the Board of the EIC Fund and the European Commission to help EIC-funded companies to grow
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EIC Fund Manager
An external authority responsible for managing the EIC Fund portfolio. Makes all investment and investment decisions on selected companies, with the support of the EIB.
European Commission / EISMEA
Through the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA), the Commission:
Manages the grant component of the EIC Accelerator
Select companies for EIC support including investments
Conducts technology due diligence
Ensures coordination between grant and equity components
Provides Business Acceleration Services
Operates the platform to connect companies with co-investors
European Investment Bank
Acts as the investor and investment advisor
Carries out due diligence, proposes investments, and supports portfolio management under an impact mandate
Acts as the investor of record